Display panel having an array of insulated strip electrodes

Claim 2

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, an array of first electrodes adjacent to said base plate, an array of second electrodes adjacent to said face plate, an array of third electrodes disposed between said array of first electrodes and said array of second electrodes and having upper and lower surfaces, said third electrodes forming, with their lower surfaces, an array of first cells with said first electrodes and forming, with their upper surfaces, an array of second cells with said second electrodes, said third electrodes comprising metal sTrips disposed side-byside adjacent to each other and carrying insulating layers only on their adjacent edges, their upper and lower surfaces being substantially free of said insulating material and able to exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 3

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said first electrodes are seated on said insulating layers adjacent to the bottom surfaces of said third electrodes, and said second electrodes are seated on said insulating layers adjacent to said top surface of said third electrodes.

Claim 4

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein adjacent edges of said third electrodes overlap each other.

Claim 5

The panel defined in claim 3 wherein said adjacent edges of said third electrodes which overlap each other are thinner than other portions of said third electrodes.

Claim 6

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said third electrodes have generally flat top and bottom surfaces and generally parallel side edges, and each said insulating layer covers one of said side edges and portions of said top and bottom surfaces adjacent thereto.

Claim 7

The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said insulating layers on each third electrode extend above and below the top and bottom surfaces thereof.

Claim 8

The panel defined in claim 2 wherein said third electrodes have generally flat top and bottom surfaces and generally parallel side edges, and each said insulating layer covers one of said side edges and portions of said top and bottom surfaces adjacent thereto, and said insulating layers extend above and below the top and bottom surfaces of said third electrodes a distance suitable to provide a predetermined spacing between said first electrodes and said third electrodes, and between said second electrodes and said third electrodes.

Claim 9

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a base plate and a face plate sealed together to provide a gas-tight enclosure, said base plate including a plurality of parallel slots, a first electrode seated in each of said slots, a plurality of second electrodes disposed between said base plate and said face plate, a plurality of third electrodes disposed between said second electrodes and said face plate and spaced from said second electrodes, said third electrodes comprising flat strips having upper and lower surfaces, and insulating layers secured to the edges of said strip electrodes, with the insulating layers of adjacent electrodes being in contact with each other to separate said strip electrodes from each other, said upper and lower surfaces being substantially free of said insulating layers so that they can exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 10

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a base plate and a face plate sealed together to provide a gas-tight enclosure, said base plate including a plurality of parallel slots, a first electrode seated in each of said slots, a plurality of second electrodes disposed between said base plate and said face plate, a plurality of third electrodes disposed between said second electrodes and said face plate and spaced from said second electrodes, said third electrodes comprising flat strips having upper and lower surfaces, and insulating layers secured to the edges of said strip electrodes, with the insulating layers of adjacent electrodes being in contact with each other to separate said strip electrodes from each other, said upper and lower surfaces being substantially free of said insulating layers so that they can exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 11

The panel defined in claim 8 wherein said second electrodes comprise metal strips having layers of insulating material secured to their adjacent edges and disposed parallel to each other and with adjacent electrodes in contact with each other at their edges.

Claim 12

The panel defined in claim 9 wherein said insulating coating is of the same thickness as said second electrode.

Claim 13

The panel defined in claim 9 wherein said insulating coating covers the edge of its second electrode and extends onto the top and bottom surfaces thereof closely adjacent to said edges.

Claim 14

The panel defined in claim 8 wherein said face plate includes a plurality of slots in which said second electrodes are seated.

Claim 15

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, said base plate having a flat top surface inside said envelope, said face plate having a flat bottom surface inside said envelope, an array of first electrodes adjacent to said base plate, an array of second electrodes adjacent to said face plate, an array of third electrodes disposed between said array of first electrodes and said array of second electrodes, said third electrodes forming an array of first cells with said first electrodes and an array of Second cells with said second electrodes, said third electrodes comprising metal strips having top and bottom surfaces and disposed side-by-side adjacent to each other and carrying insulating layers on their adjacent edges, said insulating layers extending above and below said top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of said third electrodes, said array of first electrodes being in contact with said insulating layers beneath said third electrodes, and said array of second electrodes being in contact with said insulating layers above said third electrodes, said top and bottom surfaces of said third electrodes being substantially free of said insulating layers whereby they can exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 16

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, said base plate having a flat top surface inside said envelope, said face plate having a flat bottom surface inside said envelope, an array of first electrodes adjacent to said base plate, an array of second electrodes adjacent to said face plate, an array of third electrodes disposed between said array of first electrodes and said array of second electrodes, said third electrodes forming an array of first cells with said first electrodes and an array of Second cells with said second electrodes, said third electrodes comprising metal strips having top and bottom surfaces and disposed side-by-side adjacent to each other and carrying insulating layers on their adjacent edges, said insulating layers extending above and below said top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of said third electrodes, said array of first electrodes being in contact with said insulating layers beneath said third electrodes, and said array of second electrodes being in contact with said insulating layers above said third electrodes, said top and bottom surfaces of said third electrodes being substantially free of said insulating layers whereby they can exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 17

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, an array of flat strip first electrodes disposed close together side-by-side and having upper and lower operating surfaces, at least one set of second electrodes in operative relation with said first electrodes to form a plurality of gas cells therewith, a portion of the upper surface of each of said first electrodes being visible to a viewer through said face plate, said strip electrodes, each having opposed edges and a layer of insulating material secured to the edges of said strip electrodes without covering the upper and lower surfaces thereof, said layers being approximately as thick as said strip electrodes.

Claim 18

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, an array of flat strip first electrodes disposed close together side-by-side and having upper and lower operating surfaces, at least one set of second electrodes in operative relation with said first electrodes to form a plurality of gas cells therewith, a portion of the upper surface of each of said first electrodes being visible to a viewer through said face plate, said strip electrodes, each having opposed edges and a layer of insulating material secured to the edges of said strip electrodes without covering the upper and lower surfaces thereof, said layers being approximately as thick as said strip electrodes.

Claim 19

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, an array of flat strip first electrodes disposed close together side-by-side and having upper and lower operating surfaces, at least one set of second electrodes in operative relation with said first electrodes to form a plurality of gas cells therewith, a portion of the upper surface of each of said first electrodes being visible to a viewer through said face plate, said flat strip electrodes each having left and right edges and positioned with the right edge of one strip electrode being adjacent to the left edge of the adjacent strip electrode, and a thin layer of insulating material on the left and right edge of each strip electrode, with such layers of adjacent strip electrodes being in contact with each other to serve to space said strip electrodes from each other, said layers of insulating material covering only the side edges of said strip electrodes whereby said upper and lower surfaces thereof can exhibit cathode glow.

Claim 20

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope made up of a base plate and a face plate hermetically sealed together, said face plate having a viewing window, an array of flat strip first electrodes disposed close together side-by-side and having upper and lower operating surfaces, at least one set of second electrodes in operative relation with said first electrodes to form a plurality of gas cells therewith, a portion of the upper surface of each of said first electrodes being visible to a viewer through said face plate, said flat strip electrodes each having left and right edges and positioned with the right edge of one strip electrode being adjacent to the left edge of the adjacent strip electrode, and a thin layer of insulating material on the left and right edge of each strip electrode, with such layers of adjacent strip electrodes being in contact with each other to serve to space said strip electrodes from each other, said layers of insulating material covering only the side edges of said strip electrodes whereby said upper and lower surfaces thereof can exhibit cathode glow.